Release valve for air-brake systems



Der; 1.9, 1922. 1,439,361;

F. M. FREDERICK.,4 RELEASE VALVE Fon AIR Bam! vsvtus.

FlLE Aue 8, 1921.

Patented i9, i922.

VALVE ron- .arn-:enarrn sYsrnMs.

A.fippiieaiion inea august s, 1921. jseriai'no. 490,623l

T 0 all eu from t 'may concern-f Be it known Vthat l FRANK M. FREDERICK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at F air-bury, in the county `of Jefferson and' State of Nebraska, 'have invented certain new' and useful Improvements in lelease Valves for Air-Brake Systems, of which the following is a specication. o

rlhis invention relates to improvements in release valves,v for user on auxiliary reservoirs of airV brake systems. y The primary object of the invention is the provision of an improved release valve for use on railway cars, and whichv can be mechanically set in fixed open position for 'exhausting air from a reservoir, requiring but little of an operators time;'in thisrespect differentiating from the present typev of standard release valve, wherein the same is manually held open until the air has been en- -tirely'A exhausted from the auxiliary reservoir. A further object ofthe improved release valve is the provision of one which utilizes certain features of the standard'type, including a novel arrangement for maintai-ningthe same in open position 'tof edect'the above mentioned results.

A further object ofthe invent-ion is the provision of a. release valve ywhich is simple in construction, durable, 'and one which is positive iny operation. f

Other objects and advantages will ybe apparent during the course of the following detailed description. i' n' AIn the accompanying drawings, `forming al part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding' part-s throughout the several views,

f Figure 1 is ya fragmentary end elevation of a car, showing an auxiliary tank attached air-valve. i m

IFigure 2 is "a side elevationy of. the improved release valve, showing loperating mechanismthereof 1 j Figure 3 is a cross vsectionall view through the yimproved release valve, takeno'nthe line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 isa perspective view` of the'valve operating mechanism, and showingthe position assumed by the improved device, when thereto, and embodying'the improved release y the vvalve is in closedposition, n

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the operating mechanismillustrated in Figure 4,

showing the position the same assumes when thevalve is open.v i

ln` tliedrawing, wherein for the' purposeof illustration vis shown the preferred embodiment ofkrny invention, the let-tern` designates eev a car ofany approved constru-ction,vhavin@- the ordinary auxiliary air" reservoir y mounted thereon.

Ther improved valve structure C is provided as a release device, whereby the airycan be conveniently exhausted from the reservoir B. Forconveniently designating the various parts `of the iinprovedvalve f into that portion l) whichlis. at present used in connection with the standard type of re? lease valve now in common use; the letter` E designating the novel operating' means used in connection with the mechanism D to form the improved valve C.` f

The' standard type of release valve, in which is included the mechanism D, pref-"- erably comprises the attachingstudjlO, including ythe polygonalnut portion 1.1,y and the screw threaded attaching stem 12, for detachable connection in the auxiliary reservoir l A bor'e13'is pi;'oviclecl,'through the stud 10. The cylinder body 14 of the standard'- equipment. E detachably receives the screw threaded end 15 of thestud `10, and is provided withavalve seat 16 therein having a bore therethrough, provided with radial apertures 17 for air exhaustion. `The ventvialve 18, 4a'spart of the equipmentl D,

C, the same may be subdivided preferably includes a'plung'er 19, llia"\.ir1ga valve head 2O thereon. provided with la gaslret Q1 therein for engaging upon the rvalve '16H-for retainingcompre'ssed air in the vauriliary reservoir AL bearing head 26 ordinarily provided as part of the standard means C, for engaging theplunger 19 for forcing the same to open the valve struc.-y ture 18.l

`Referring' to the improved operating means E, ay bearing AplateB() is bolted, as at l 31 in detachable manner upon ythe flattened sidefof thecylinderle, and on?. an end of into the .cylinder 14, immediately over ther lugs 32. From the pivot point as defined by the screw 36, the lever 35 is provided with a pair ot oppositely extending` arms 37 and 38, which extend upwardly away from the pivot 36, and outwardly from the lside of the cylinder 14. The operating lever 35 is provided, atthe point of juncture orn the arms 37` and 38, and upon the outer surface 39 thereof, with a cam projection 41. The projectionu41 extends longitudinallyin a direction transverse to the axis deiined bythe release valve C. and is centrally provided with la depression 42. Projection pins 43 and 44 are provided, extending,` outwardly from the extreme end portions ot the cam projection 41, and respectively adjacent the arms 37 and 38. Each ot the pins 43 and 44 are provided with a Jdat surface 45 facing the depression 42 in the cam projection 41. The depression 42 in cam 41 inclines gradually upwardly toward vthe pins 43 and 44..

A second lever 46, substantially J-shaped inY formation is provided as part of the operating mechanism E, having the longer leg' 47 provided with an aperture 48 transversely therethrough, and adapted for pivotally receiving' the detachable screw 33, whereby said lever may be oscillatively mounted to the lugs In this position, the shorter leg or vhook 49 ot the lever 46, -projects lbeneath the cylinder 14 of the release valve C andl engages the bearing plate 26 of the mechanism D. The longerA leg 47 j overlies the outer surface 39 of the two way operating lever 35, and engages at its extreme upper end 49l against the carn projection 41. c

rlhe release valve C is assembled in .the auxiliary'reservoir B, in such manner that thetwo way operating lever35, extends .longitudinally in a direction transversely Ot the car A. Operating rods 50 and 51 may be pivotally attached as vat 52 to the ends ot the arms 37 and 38; the extreme outer end of the operating rods 50 and 51 being` supported by suitable braclets53 carried adjacent the lower longitudinal edgesof the car A.

In normalposition, with the auxiliary air tank B7 filled with compressed air, the valve head 20 is of course seated inthe cylinder'14. in this position, the plunger 19 forces the second lever 46 ot the means E outwardly, in such manner upon its pivot 33 that theA ex treme upper end 49 thereof engages in the linder 14.

depression 42 of the cam projection 41. When the valve mechanism 18 is so closed, thetwo operating lever 35 is rot course symmetrically disposed on the bearing,` plate 30, in suchmanner'that the cam projection 41 properly receives the lever 46. `When it is desired to release the air from the auniliary reservoir B, as is the ease when the car is on the siding, or' standing- `still awaiting repairs, the operator either ,pulls outwardly or pushes inwardly upon either ot the operating rods 50 or 51, to rock the two way lever 35 upon its vpivot pin 36. ris the lever 35 is rocked, thelextreme end 49 of the 'lever 46 is forced outwardly'by riding over ythe inclined tace adjacent-,thedepression 42, until. the operator has oscillated the lever 35until the flat faces 45fof one of the projections 43 or 44 engages the side of the lever 46. j By this operation, the lever 46 is rocked upon its pivot 33 and the end ot the shorterarm 49 thereof pushes inwardly Iupon the Vbearing plate26, to force the plunger 19 ot the mechanism D inwardly to unseat the valve structure 18, whereby air may escape from the reservoir B outwardly, through the cyl- The lever 35 can, of course, be operated by means Aot arms 3'? ror 38 to open the valve mechanism 17.r The pins 43 :and 440i course kdefine the 'limit-s of oscillation oi the lever 35jand determinethe open position of said valve mechanism. Due lto theflat surfaces ,55 adjacent the pins 43 and 44, the lever` 46 when once positioned to open the valve mechanism 17 may be maintained in fixed position, 'independent of manual` holding of the saineto exhaustair from they reservoir B. n `From the foregoing, it can be seen that a release valve has been provided, in which it is Ymerely necessary tor an operator to rock the lever 35 toy oscillate the lever 46 for opening the valve mechanism '18after which the lever 46 ,by resting upon either of 'the Y'dat surfaces 55 of the cam projection 41, is

maintained in fixed `position foropening the valve head 2O,y against tension ot the spring 19. Many cars A are shifted at onetime, intoa terminal. Preparatory to detachment l of the train and 'to individual shitting of "theca'rs Apth'e air should be released from the auxiliary reservoir B. It can be seen what a problem` this becomes when thereare a great many of the cars A in a train; and` as is well known, with the present type dt releasev valve, the operator is forced to hold the lever of the same open, untilr allot the air is exhausted from the reservoir" B ,In contra-distinction to ithis Acumbersome l,method of releasing` air fromA the reservoirs yB, applicants release valve `merely has to be set in open position, by an inspector or operator passing along one side ot the'trai'n and pulling outwardly or pushing inwardly uponeither of the operating rods 50 or 51,

to open the valve structure 18 for release of air. Many cars A can thus be done in the time that it takes a single reservoir B to eX- haust the air therein to the release valve. An operator or inspector so releasing the air from the reservoir B in a long train, can pass down one side opening the various release valves C, and upwardly on the other side of the train to close the valve mechanism i8, by properly rocking the various levers 35, until the lever 46 is in proper position in the depression A2. When this operation has -heen done to a long train, the train is in condition ready for a shifting crew.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts, of course be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention -or the scope of the claims.

I claim: y

l. A release valve for air bra-ke systems comprising in combination acylinder, a vent valve mechanism, a lever, and sliding cam means for receiving said leverthereagainst to rock said leverto maintain the same in position for holding the vent valve mechanism open.

2. A release valve, comprising in combination a cylinder, a kvent valve mechanism,

a lever in operating engagement with said vent valve mechanism, a second lever, cam means on said second lever for engaging against said first mentioned lever to selectively maintain the vent valve mechanism open or permit/the same. to assume a closed position. n

3. In a device of the class described, the

ycombination with the cylinder and vent valve mechanism ci a standard air brake releasevalve, of a plate mounted on said cylinder, and means mounted on said plate for engaging said vent valve mechanism tor operation to assume a set position to X said vent valve in open position.

4. ln a device of the class described, the combination of a cylinder, a valve mechanism in said cylinder, a plate detachably mounted on said cylinder, a lever oscillatively mounted on said plate and maintained in outward forced position by said valve mechanism, a second lever pivotally mounted on said plate and including a cam arrangement for cooperation with said irst mentioned lever to force said first mentioned lever for oscillation upon its pivot and against action of said valve mechanism to maintain said valve mechanism in fixed open position.

" FRANK FREDERICK. 

